ANALYSIS: The top three's Season 9 so far

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ANALYSIS: The top three's Season 9 so far

We're already over halfway into Season 9 of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship, and what a journey it's been. Although there's still all to play for, the top three in the championship will have their eyes on being the first World Champion of the exciting GEN3 era. It's not been an easy journey for any of them, so here are their stories of the season so far.

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Nick Cassidy (Envision Racing) - 121 points

Cassidy has always had moments of brilliance in his Formula E career. However, with these new regulations in place, he's consistently found himself at the front of the field and locking in valuable championship points. His Envision car, equipped with a TCS Jaguar Racing powertrain, has helped him achieve five podium finishes in the last six races, with two being wins. 

Despite a slow start to the season for our championship leader, things certainly picked up by the fourth round of the campaign. A ninth place in Mexico, followed by finishing sixth and 13th over the Diriyah E-Prix double header, was certainly not the start of the season Cassidy wanted. Sitting 10th in the standings, he headed into Hyderabad, where his whole season turned around. 

Starting ninth, his best grid position of the season at the time, the Kiwi fought his way up into second, trying his best to steal the victory from DS PENSKE's Jean-Eric Vergne. Although gambling on some bold moves, he was forced to settle for second. 

Next up was Cape Town, and Cassidy had confidence on his side off the back of a great result. He qualified much better, slotting into third on the starting grid. He would finish in the same position despite his best efforts to keep Vergne and race winner Antonio Felix da Costa (TAG Heuer Porsche) behind. Nobody could have predicted the outrageous overtake da Costa made past Cassidy in the race's final moments! 

Another second place in Formula E's first visit to São Paulo meant more points, and soon the Envision driver was third in the standings. The consecutive podium finishes ended momentarily during the first race in Berlin when the 28-year-old crossed the chequered flag in fifth. However, the next day Cassidy finally secured his first win of the season.

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After a commanding triumph in Monaco, going from ninth on the grid to seal back-to-back victories, Cassidy has moved himself up to the top of the standings as we head into the challenging double header in Jakarta. 20 points clear of the next man, Cassidy is a firm favourite if he can keep up the pace and navigate GEN3 as well as he has done so far. 

However, it's far from a done deal. Even last time in Monaco, Cassidy reported that his car's setup wasn't correct, and he finished both Free Practice sessions 21st. He got it turned around in time, but all it could take is one bad weekend to knock him off the top spot! 

Pascal Wehrlein (TAG Heuer Porsche) - 101 points

When Season 9 of Formula E got underway, there was one clear favourite early on: Pascal Wehrlein. The German driver was a machine, using his Porsche powertrain to climb up the field numerous times to finish on the podium or even win the races. 

In the first E-Prix of the season, Mexico City, Wehrlein went from sixth to second at the finish line, a superb drive in its own right. He sat P2 in the championship standings, the highest he'd ever placed when racing in Formula E since joining in Season 5. 

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Nevertheless, the following race weekend, the Porsche driver put on a true masterclass in this new GEN3 era when he won both E-Prix in the Diriyah double header. 

During the first of the two races, the 28-year-old pulled off an incredible recovery drive to go from ninth to first and obtain his second-ever Formula E win. Still pumped from Friday's spectacle, he converted fifth place on the grid into another victory the next day. He became the fifth driver in the all-electric championship's history to win both races over a double race weekend! 

Leaving Diriyah leading the world championship, Wehrlein undoubtedly had a target on his back, but the Porsche setup was the strongest package by far. Building up such a considerable championship lead early on was great for Wehrlein, but his dominance in the races wouldn't last long. 

Missing out on a podium in Hyderabad was the least of his worries during the championship's maiden visit to India, as Wehrlein was taken to hospital after a massive crash during FP1. Fresh from doing the double in Diriyah, his unusual high-speed shunt meant that all other Porsche-powered cars were forced to miss the rest of the session. After returning from the hospital for precautionary checks, Wehrlein recovered well after qualifying 12th to finish in fourth. 

Next up in Cape Town, the points leader hoped to extend his position in the standings. But, during the first lap of the E-Prix, Wehrlein made a big mistake which took him out of the race just moments after we went green in South Africa. Taking full blame for the contact between himself and Envision's Sebastien Buemi, he labelled it a "painful day because anything was possible". 

Poor qualifying performances in São Paulo, Berlin and Monaco haven't helped either, but since his incident in Cape Town, the Porsche driver has been able to finish every race in the points. However, after scraping a single point for finishing 10th last time out in Monte Carlo, his championship lead has finally slipped from his grasp. 

With seven races remaining, can Wehrlein turn his recent results around and be back up at the front? It's Formula E. Anything is possible. 

Jake Dennis (Avalanche Andretti) - 96 points

The first winner of Formula E's newest generation of racing was Jake Dennis, earlier this year in Mexico City. The Avalanche Andretti driver has a Porsche powertrain in his X99, which has helped him to five podiums so far this season. 

Lining up on the front row of the grid in Mexico, Dennis was able to upgrade his second place start to his fourth Formula E career win and lead the championship for the first two rounds. In a car with a competitive package, he finished both races in Diriyah in second to keep himself a strong championship contender. During Round 2, he made up nine places to secure that all-important finish in second.  
However, things took a dramatic turn as Dennis failed to score a single point in the following races. Collisions in Hyderabad and São Paulo saw him leave pointless, plus a tyre pressure penalty served during the Cape Town E-Prix completely derailed any chance of a good result for the Brit. 

As he headed into the Berlin double header last month, Dennis made it clear that he wanted to get himself back in the top ten and add some more points to his tally. The first race day started well as he qualified fifth. However, according to the Andretti driver, a braking issue caused him to crash out of the first race dramatically - clipping da Costa in the process. 

Dennis-mexico-victory

Desperate for redemption, Dennis finally found himself back at the front of the pack and locked in a second place finish in Round 8 of Berlin. The German capital was a turning point for the 27-year-old last month as he kept his cool through all of the chaos and once again lifted some silverware and got the taste of some sweet champagne on the podium. 

Having driven from seventh to second in Berlin, it started a snowball effect that saw him fighting for victory around the iconic Monte Carlo principality in the next round. Although the win was just out of reach after a stunning battle with Cassidy and the Jaguar of Mitch Evans, there's no denying that Dennis is ready to make up for lost time and go full charge in the remaining races. 

With the London E-Prix home of the season's finale and Dennis having won two of the four home races he's been a part of, it's not over until it's over.